Week of February 20, 2026
Sorry for the delay in posting this. We are excited to welcome our new student teacher, Ms. Tran, to our classroom on Monday morning. She will be with us until the end of April. I will share a proper introduction to her in the next blog post.
Looking Back:
Happy Lunar New Year!!
We had an amazing time celebrating the Lunar New Year on Tuesday! We dove into the Year of the Horse, learning fun facts and practicing how to draw a realistic horse. We also explored different ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
As a hands-on twist, students used toilet paper rolls generously brought in by one of our classmates to make poppers, tying into our science unit on elastic forces. The best part? A friendly competition to launch pom-poms across the room, putting our new knowledge of elastic forces into action. Lots of laughter and excitement filled the classroom!
Literacy:
Writing:
Students have been working on descriptive writing inspired by our class story Ollie’s Odyssey. Each student created their own “Creep” or Junkyard friend and carefully described how to draw their character’s face and body using clear, detailed language.
This week, students expanded their writing by creating a backstory for their character. They explained where their Creep came from, how they ended up in the junkyard or began working with Zozo, and what role they will play in the story. Students also decided whether their character will help Ollie and Billy reunite or try to keep them apart, adding creativity and deeper thinking to their writing.
We also learned how to use the Speech to Text tool in Google Docs to begin typing our stories. Students practiced editing their work and quickly learned the importance of turning microphones off when not in use. We are very excited to share their finished pieces with you soon.
Students reviewed vowel patterns that make two sounds (ea, ie, ei, y, ow, oo) and practiced reading words by trying both vowel sounds.
We introduced four new suffixes: -tion, -sion, -tive, and -sive, adding them to our Affix Bank and discussing example words.
During Word Play, students built new words by combining base words with prefixes and suffixes, strengthening their decoding and word-building skills
Math:
In math, we focused on solving multiplication and division word problems. Students practiced reading carefully, identifying key information, and deciding whether the situation called for multiplying or dividing. We worked on understanding what the numbers represent, what the question is asking, and how to explain our thinking clearly using equations, pictures, and number sentences.
Next, we learned how to divide with remainders. This was very exciting for the students as they discovered that sometimes numbers do not split evenly. We used manipulatives to physically share items into equal groups so students could see what happens when there are leftovers. This hands-on practice helped build a strong understanding before moving to written methods.
We then explored what long division looks like and how it organizes our thinking step by step. Students learned that division can be represented in two ways: using the division symbol (÷) and using the long division bracket. We discussed how both show the same mathematical thinking, just written in different formats.
Science:
In math, we focused on solving multiplication and division word problems. Students practiced reading carefully, identifying key information, and deciding whether the situation called for multiplying or dividing. We worked on understanding what the numbers represent, what the question is asking, and how to explain our thinking clearly using equations, pictures, and number sentences.
Next, we learned how to divide with remainders. This was very exciting for the students as they discovered that sometimes numbers do not split evenly. We used manipulatives to physically share items into equal groups so students could see what happens when there are leftovers. This hands-on practice helped build a strong understanding before moving to written methods.
We then explored what long division looks like and how it organizes our thinking step by step. Students learned that division can be represented in two ways: using the division symbol (÷) and using the long division bracket. We discussed how both show the same mathematical thinking, just written in different formats.
Science:
In Science, we learned about four types of contact forces: applied force, friction, tension, and spring force. Students explored real life examples of each and discussed how forces can be described as weak or strong depending on the amount of push or pull.
During a hands on experiment with marshmallows, licorice, rubber bands, and Play-Doh, students tested different forces and compared how materials reacted. They observed which forces were stronger and which were weaker based on the changes they saw.
To show their understanding, students drew examples of the different forces and identified each one as strong or weak, explaining their thinking.
Social Studies:
In Social Studies, we learned about several Indigenous languages in Alberta, including Cree, Dene, and Blackfoot. Students explored how to say different animal names in each language and recorded their learning in their visual journals.
We also studied a treaty map of Alberta, identifying the different treaty lands across the province. Students looked for connections between the languages and the regions where they are traditionally spoken, deepening their understanding of how language and place are connected.
Looking Ahead:
MTS Reminders - Wednesday February 18 |
Report Cards Next WeekOn Tuesday February 24, your child’s report card will be available for you to read online through your MyCBE Account. Here are some resources to help you access the report card and understand it more thoroughly. Log in to read report card: MyCBE Account Access the report card video: How to access report card. What do the 4, 3, 2 and 1 mean? Assessment & Reporting the CBE - K-9 Proficiency Scale There is more information available here Assessment & Reporting We strongly encourage you to take some time to read this informative document that was written by your child’s teacher. Our next Parent-Teacher conferences will take place on March 19th and 20th 2026. Jump Rope For HeartWe’re excited to share that every donation made to Jump Rope for Heart this February will be matched by a generous partner (up to $75,000) — doubling the impact of your support! That means every contribution makes double the impact in supporting life-changing heart and brain research here in Canada. If you’d like to support our Jump event, you can donate through our school’s fundraising page: Let’s make this year our most impactful yet! Thank you for supporting our school and Heart & Stroke. Fun LunchThe next Fun Lunch will be held on Wednesday February 25. Fun Lunch is only for grades 1-4 and our EES students.
Please make sure to send a morning snack with your child on Fun Lunch Days. Orders must be placed by the Friday before the day. Food SupportDid you know that the Breakfast Club of Canada has shared research demonstrating that 40% of Alberta’s children experience food insecurity? This means that 4 out of 10 children do not have access to food when they are hungry. If your family is experiencing challenges with providing food for your children you can find help at Brown Bagging Calgary. Complete this form for support and they can deliver lunches to McKenzie Towne School for your children. https://go.bb4ck.org/l/858913/2024-01-15/38fdbw You can also find out more information on their website https://bb4ck.org/ Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids Year Book PicturesIf you have any pictures from any school events (ie, first day of school, Terry Fox Run, Halloween) that you would like to share with the Yearbook Committee, please click on the link below. More information will be shared on purchasing at a later date. Upcoming DatesFebruary 24 Jump Rope for Heart Assembly - 8:30am February 25 Fun Lunch - Coco Brooks Pizza February 25 PINK Shirt Day February 27 Non-Instructional Day - NO SCHOOL March 16-20 Book Fair (More Information to come) March 17 Wear Green for St. Patrick's Day March 18 Fun Lunch - Subway March 19 & 20 Parent/Teacher Conferences March 19 NO SCHOOL for Kindergarten March 20 Parent/Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL March 23-27 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL |
